Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday questioned the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission’s (JSSC) decision to conduct a re-examination without filing an FIR or initiating an investigation into alleged irregularities in Paper II of the Madhyamik Acharya recruitment exam.
Petition Challenges Re-examination Notice
A writ petition was filed before the high court by Archana Kumari and other candidates, challenging a notice issued by the commission on April 23. The notice directs all candidates to appear for a re-examination scheduled for May 8 at centres across the state. As many as 2,819 candidates have been asked to take the test again.
Allegations of Unfair Means
The decision to hold a re-examination followed allegations that some candidates used unfair means at certain exam centres. The original exams were conducted in January this year. After protests by aspirants, the commission decided to order a re-examination for all candidates — a move that has been contested in the writ petition.
Arguing the case, counsel for Archana said his client had not been accused of using any unfair means. He contended that the commission should have identified and taken action only against those candidates found guilty, instead of scrapping the entire examination and directing all candidates to reappear, calling the decision unfair.
Court Questions Lack of FIR
During the hearing, the court questioned why no FIR had yet been filed by the commission against the officials, employees, or alleged impersonators involved in the irregularities. The matter will be heard next on April 27.
The high court's scrutiny highlights concerns over procedural fairness and the burden placed on innocent candidates. The commission's decision to re-examine all candidates, rather than targeting specific wrongdoers, has been criticized as disproportionate.
